Tag Archives: DeWayne Bartels

2010 Election, Blogosphere, General News, Museum Block, Peoria County, Peoria Public Schools, Peoria Times-Observer

Saturday must-see links

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If you haven’t already seen these this week, you’ll want to check them out:

  • Outside the Horseshoe for January 26, 2010, from WCBU 89.9 FM radio. Tanya Koonce has a conversation with Peoria County Administrator Patrick Urich, Peoria County State’s Attorney Kevin Lyons, and County Board Members Andrew Rand (Dist. 4) and Stephen Morris (Dist. 10) about the proposed Peoria Riverfront Museum project. What we can deduce from the conversation here is that, at least in the county’s perception, Lakeview Museum is trying to dominate and control the project. I suspect their perception is true; Caterpillar had similar problems working with Lakeview which led to their decision years ago to put their visitor center in a separate building instead of sharing space in the museum.

  • Blacktop Reform from DeWayne Bartels of the Peoria Times-Observer. You may be surprised to learn that the next time you want to get your driveway blacktopped, you’ll have to pay a lot more money and have fewer contractors from which to choose. The County Board is trying to run non-union blacktop paving contractors out of town. Let this be a lesson to current and future Board members: do your homework before you vote!

  • School Board Member Laura Petelle’s thoughts on the final candidate for District 150’s New Superintendent. She wants to assure everyone that the process this time was “far different and more comprehensive” than the past. In other words, they did a better job of vetting the candidates than the board that hired Kay Royster did. That should give residents some comfort.

  • Racism alleged within the Peoria County Democratic Central Committee. Rachael Parker is a sitting Peoria Board of Education member running for a seat on the Peoria County Board, and her campaign manager and communications director sent out a press release accusing local Democrats of being racist. They also questioned why the Peoria Journal Star did not interview Parker. I’m wondering how the Journal Star got a quote from Parker for their January 15 story if they didn’t interview her.

Happy reading/listening!

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DeWayne and I have something in common

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Neither one of us has a cell phone.

That, of course, makes me eccentric. Which is funny, because evidently what’s not eccentric is walking around with a little Bluetooth gizmo sticking out of your ear. Also not eccentric: Walking around looking like you’re talking to yourself while wearing a little Bluetooth gizmo sticking out of your ear. Oh yeah, I’m the weird one.

Some people are incredulous that I can live, breathe, and — perhaps most amazing — travel without a cell phone. It does make you wonder how we lived for so long without these devices. Just think, up until 1979 there were no cell phones. Do you realize what that means? It means Columbus discovered the new world… without a cell phone! The Pilgrims came without cell phones. International trade was carried on for centuries without cell phones. And yes, man went to the moon and back several times without cell phones.

You’re all stunned, I know. And you’re saying, “yeah, but this is 2008; people went without indoor plumbing and microwaves and dishwashers for centuries, too, but you’ve gotta get with the times, Ceej.” Well, not all technology is created equal. Some are more useful and necessary than others. There have been major advances in coffee-making technology, too, but since I don’t drink coffee, I don’t own the latest and greatest coffee maker. It’s unnecessary in my life; I don’t need it.

And that’s the same reason I don’t have a cell phone: I don’t need it. I have a phone in my house, and I have a phone in my office at work. If you call while I’m not in either of those places, you can leave me a message and I’ll call you back. Simple, just like Thoreau advised. I’m not waiting for a kidney transplant. I’m not carrying the nuclear football. So whatever it is, it can wait.